ATMA BODHA 62

 

ATMA BODHA  62

“SWAYAM-ANTAR-BAHIR- VYAPYA BHASAYAN-AHILAM-JAGAT

BRAHMA  PRAKASATHE VAHNI PRATAPT AYASA-PINDAVAT.”

“The Supreme Brahman pervades the entire universe outwardly and inwardly. It shines of Itself like the fire that permeates a red-hot iron ball and glows by Itself.”

The Upanishads declare the BRAHMAN as “ Satyam jnana maqnantam BRAHMA.”  It is Truth. It is the only Knowledge to be acquired. It is Eternal and Infinite. There is no other object where the Brahman does not penetrate. In other words the whole world of creation is the manifestation of the Brahman itself. It is the material and efficient cause through them.  It is the Pure Consciousness. Thus there is no difference between the outer world of finite experience and the subjective state of Reality.

Without Spirit matter is dead. But when matter and Spirit merge there is manifestation of life. The vital content  in every atom and particle of life is this Supreme Reality. Is it possible to separate the Spirit from the matter?  Yes, it is possible as in the case of extracting butter from milk. The Spirit can be realized  and separated from matter through meditation in the pure heart-cave.(hridaya kuhara)

An iron ball, in contact with fire for a long time glows as fire itself. The world of dead matter is inert, lifeless and stationary but when  they play in the vitality of the SUPREME BRAHMAN there is manifestation of life. Our cognition and experience shall fail miserably without the grace of  this Pure Consciousness. The Vedas and the Upanishads declare vociferously that the Infinite is unborn, deathless,  omnipotent and all-pervading.—“ ajayamano bahudha vijayathe”. On the other hand  the created world of things and beings is born, mortal, and limited in its power and scope In short, the finite and the infinite are diametrically opposite in nature. How can we identify the intelligence and existence which is the nature of the Self in matter which is inert and dead? The red-hot iron ball illustrates the point.

Iron ball is black and cold. Fire is golden in colour and hot. The colour and heat of fire penetrates the iron- ball as it comes into contact with fire after a sufficiently long time. Similarly, when inert matter  is in association with the SPIRI for a long time, Its SATH- CHIT –ANANDA nature is transferred  on to the matter.

 

ATMA BODHA 61

 

ATMA  BODHA  61

“YAD- BHASA BHASYATE- ARKADI BHASYATI- YATU- NA- BHASYATE

    YENA- SARVAM- YEDAM- BHATI TAD –BRAHMETI – AVADHARAYET

                THAT BY  THE LIGHT OF WHICH THE LUMINOUS, ORBS LIKE THE SUN, AND THE MOON ARE ILLUMINATED, BUT WHICH IS NOT ILLUMINED BY THEIR LIGHT, REALISETHAT TO BE BRAHMAN.

It is the Consciousness in me illumines for me the conditions of the things around me. There is no difference between the total Cosmic Consciousness and the illuminating Factor within me. But there is no conditioning of the individual ego. No doubt, the sun illuminates the entire universe with his brilliant light but he too derives his life from the Supreme Force which is All-pervading. In other words, the Sun and the Moon  do not have a special agency other than the SELF in us for their illumination

That which illuminates all others but which cannot be illumined  by anything other than Itself is ever the Illuminator. Hence, when there is no object for It to illumine, It illumines Itself. This BRAHMAN, the Light of Consciousness remains in its own glory. It remains unattached and unaffected, like the street lamp an example referred to in the earlier stanzas. BRAHMAN is thus  the light of all lights, the fountain head of pure Consciousness and the mighty illuminator of  all illuminations

“ The Sun does not shine there, nor the moon and the stars nor these lightnings.How then could this fire? When He shines, everything shines after HIM; by HIS light all this is lighted.” (KATHOPANISHAD)

“ That which is not seen by the eye, but that by which the eyes are made to see---- know that as Brahmam.” ( KENOPANISHAD)                      

“ That which is not heard by the ear, but that by which the ears are made to hear ---- know that as Brahman and not what people worship here.” ( KENOPANISHAD)

 

 

 

 

ATMA BODHA 60

 

ATMA BODHA 60

“ANANWA-ASTOOLA-MAHRASWA-MADEERGHA MAJA-MAVYAYAM

AROOP-GUNA-VARNA-AKHYAM TAD- BRAHMETI-AVADHARAYET”

“REALISE THAT BRAHMAN IS NEITHER SUBTLE NOR$ GROSS: NEITHER SHORT NOR LONG: WITHOT BIRTH OR CHANGE: WITHOUT FORM,QUALITIES, COLOUR AND NAME.

In the previous stanza Sankara emphasizes the fact that all objects are pervaded by Brahman. He elaborates the point, and states here that BRAHMAN is neither gross nor subtle. Everything is pervaded by IT. It is the bedrock and substratum for everything. Even when an atom is split the presence of BRAHMAN is definitely felt.

Finite objects bound by limitations of time and space are either gross or subtle. But BRAHMAN which is timeless time and spaceless space, the Infinitude of the Infinite cannot be bound by space-time- causation. Hence IT can only be defined in negative terms such as “neither gross nor subtle etc’.

What is born is the body, mind and intellect and the objects of the outer world; not the BRAHMAN. This infinite Reality is irreducible, formless, without quality, or caste or name. Hence it is indescribable. It is beyond perception, feelings or thoughts. This is the description of the Infinite in the language of negation.

We have to understand the limitations of language. It can describe only themes that have qualities (Guna) or function ( kriya) or name (Nama)or qualifications ( Visesha) or relationship with others  (Sambandha). None of these are for the Eternal Infinite, substratum for everything. Therefore It has to elude language and remain indescribable. Our scriptures make use of this technique of describing the Infinite by the process of negation. These terms are to be considered as so many arrow marks

indicating  Truth. They are not in themselves positive definitions of THAT. KNOW THAT TO BE THE BRAHMAN.